Buhari orders 2weeks cease-fire in N/Delta; to allow for dialogue with militants
Tue Jun 07, 2016 11:59:am National
2K By Buchi Obichie
Nigeria's Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, in Abuja yesterday disclosed that President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the military to suspend operations in the Niger Delta for two weeks, in order to create a window for dialogue with militants.
According to him, the Federal Government is determined to explore the dialogue option, with a view to restoring genuine peace in the region, where oil production has been significantly hurt by activities of the Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, in the last two months.
He said: "The President is interested in dialogue and has mandated the military to halt actions for about two weeks to ensure a team that will be led by the NSA, dialogues with the militants to ensure peace in the region.
This disclosure comes as more oil companies in the restive Niger Delta region have reviewed their operations, following continued bombing of their facilities in Delta and Bayelsa states.
'The avenue is open for them, provided the militants are willing to embrace dialogue and allow truth to reign because we are going to involve key leaders from the region who have had previous experience in that area to play whatever role they can".
Kachikwu who made the comments while speaking at the handover ceremony of Federal Polytechnic of Oil and Gas to the Federal Ministry of Education, also stated that the Federal Government was not just committed to securing oil and gas installations but the lives and property of people in the region.
The Minister stated that the National Security Adviser's team will consist of top officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, service chiefs and ministers from the Niger Delta.
He used the occasion of the speech to reiterate the fact that the nation needed peace in oil production more than ever at the moment, given the circumstances currently facing the economy.
However, despite the bleak circumstances currently facing the country, Kachikwu expressed hope that the dialogue would yield positive results and get Nigeria back to maximum production as the country was currently producing about 1.6mbpd, about 600,000 barrels, short of the 2.2mbpd production target of the 2016 budget.
Meanwhile, Kachikwu has commended the Petroleum Technology Development Fund, PTDF, for being able to start and finish a huge project such as the Federal Polytechnic of Oil and Gas at Ekowe, Bayelsa State.
He said: "This is a very good attempt by PTDF, to cover the skill gap in the areas of training and research in oil and gas in the country."
According to him, the Federal Government is determined to explore the dialogue option, with a view to restoring genuine peace in the region, where oil production has been significantly hurt by activities of the Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, in the last two months.
He said: "The President is interested in dialogue and has mandated the military to halt actions for about two weeks to ensure a team that will be led by the NSA, dialogues with the militants to ensure peace in the region.
This disclosure comes as more oil companies in the restive Niger Delta region have reviewed their operations, following continued bombing of their facilities in Delta and Bayelsa states.
'The avenue is open for them, provided the militants are willing to embrace dialogue and allow truth to reign because we are going to involve key leaders from the region who have had previous experience in that area to play whatever role they can".
Kachikwu who made the comments while speaking at the handover ceremony of Federal Polytechnic of Oil and Gas to the Federal Ministry of Education, also stated that the Federal Government was not just committed to securing oil and gas installations but the lives and property of people in the region.
The Minister stated that the National Security Adviser's team will consist of top officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, service chiefs and ministers from the Niger Delta.
He used the occasion of the speech to reiterate the fact that the nation needed peace in oil production more than ever at the moment, given the circumstances currently facing the economy.
However, despite the bleak circumstances currently facing the country, Kachikwu expressed hope that the dialogue would yield positive results and get Nigeria back to maximum production as the country was currently producing about 1.6mbpd, about 600,000 barrels, short of the 2.2mbpd production target of the 2016 budget.
Meanwhile, Kachikwu has commended the Petroleum Technology Development Fund, PTDF, for being able to start and finish a huge project such as the Federal Polytechnic of Oil and Gas at Ekowe, Bayelsa State.
He said: "This is a very good attempt by PTDF, to cover the skill gap in the areas of training and research in oil and gas in the country."
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